DOIG CALDERON Maria Luisa

Personal Information

Occupation Athlete, Dentist

Languages English, Spanish

Higher education Dentistry - Cayetano Heredia University: Lima, PER

License number 13081991000

Club Club de Regatas Lima

Upcoming Events

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? She took up fencing at age five at the Regatas Lima club in Peru.

Why this sport? Her grandfather Luis took her to the Regatas Lima club and showed her different sports. She was not interested in any of them until she saw two athletes fencing. "I asked what that was and for the first time my grandfather didn't know what to say to me. It was like love at first sight. I didn't know anything yet, but I said, 'This I want to do, I want to be here'."

Club / Team Regatas Lima [PER] / BVSC-Zuglo [HUN]:

Name of coach Adrian Pop [personal], ROU

Training Regime She has training camps in Hungary, where she works with Romanian coach Adrian Pop. "I love to train in Hungary. I'm treated very well. Before qualifying for [the 2020 Olympic Games in] Tokyo I came here and liked the high performance level there is."

General Interest

Nicknames Malu (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021)

Hobbies Listening to music, watching films. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021)

Memorable sporting achievement Competing at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021)

Most influential person in career Her grandfather. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021)

Hero / Idol Her grandfather. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021)

Injuries In August 2020 she fractured her leg. (elperuano.pe, 04 May 2021)

Sporting philosophy / motto "With love and consistency you can reach the top." (laantigona.com, 11 Aug 2021)

Awards and honours She was flag bearer for Peru at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Bolivarian Games in Valledupar, Colombia. (rpp.pe, 23 Jun 2022; gob.pe, 20 Jun 2022)

Milestones She became the first fencer from Peru, male or female, to win a medal at the Pan American Games when she claimed silver in individual epee at the 2023 Games in Santiago, Chile. (SportsDeskOnline, 06 May 2024)

In 2021 she became the first fencer representing Peru to compete at two editions of the Olympic Games. She competed in individual foil at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and in individual epee at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Apr 2022)

At age 16 years and 364 days on the first day of her competition, she was the youngest Peruvian athlete in any sport to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Apr 2022)

Ambitions To win medals at the Olympic Games in 2024 and 2028. (Athlete, 23 Jul 2021)

Other information VICTORY DEDICATION
She qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games by winning the Pan American qualification tournament in San Jose, Costa Rica. During the event she wore a black armband to honour one of her former coaches, Ivan Huapaya, who passed away in March 2021. She also dedicated the victory to the memory of her grandfather Luis Calderon Valle, who introduced her to fencing. "He was with me in my early training until his last days. He was proud of all my triumphs. Now he accompanies me from the other side." (elperuano.pe, 04 May 2021; insidethegames.biz, 03 May 2021)

ATHLETE VOICE
She has served as a member of the International Fencing Federation [FIE] athletes' commission. (fie.org, 07 Oct 2017)

OCCUPATION
She is a dentist by profession but put her work on hold until after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (rpp.pe, 24 Apr 2024)